Preliminary results of Azerbaijan’s presidential elections Wednesday showed a landslide victory for incumbent President Ilham Aliyev, whose re-election was widely expected following his government’s swift reclaiming of a region formerly controlled by ethnic Armenian separatists.With nearly 55% of the ballots counted, Aliyev, 62, was winning the race with 92.1% of…

Militants in Indian-controlled Kashmir fired at two workers from the northern state of Punjab, killing one and wounding another, police said Wednesday.Police blamed militants fighting against Indian rule in the disputed region for the attack in Srinagar. Officials did not immediately give further details.Kashmir has witnessed a spate of targeted…

The U.S. carried out a drone strike in Baghdad late Wednesday that killed three members of the powerful Kataib Hezbollah militia – including a high-ranking commander connected with a drone strike that killed three U.S. troops in Jordan late last month. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said forces conducted a unilateral strike…

Houthi militants in Yemen are using Iranian-supplied missiles and drones to attack civilian and military targets across the Middle East, analysis from the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) shows. The report, “Iran: Enabling Houthi Attacks Across the Middle East,” aims to provide more insight into the relationship between Iran and the Houthis.The…

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected Hamas’ offer for a full release of hostages in exchange for a 135-day cease-fire, a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and the release of well over 1,000 Palestinian prisoners.After U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Israeli officials, Netanyahu dismissed any possibility of…

French President Emmanuel Macron held a national ceremony to honor victims of Hamas’ attack in Israel, labeling it as the “largest antisemitic massacre of our century.”Forty-two French citizens died in the attack, with three hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza.The ceremony featured empty chairs representing the absent hostages, and…

South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol has reiterated the country’s stance against seeking its own nuclear deterrent in response to North Korean threats.Yoon acknowledged South Korea’s capability to quickly acquire nuclear weapons technology but deemed it unrealistic due to potential economic repercussions.Yoon, a conservative elected in 2022, has consistently sought…

An Iran watchdog group says the country has enough weapons-grade uranium to build a nuclear weapon in just one week.The Institute for Science and International Security published the findings in a report on Monday, saying Tehran could produce a total of six bombs in a month.”The volatile situation in the…

Germany’s Cabinet has approved plans to reduce the minimum sentence for spreading child sexual abuse images.The current law penalizes dissemination of such content with a prison sentence of one to 10 years.The proposed legislation will reduce the minimum sentence to six months to restore flexibility in sentencing.Germany’s Cabinet on Wednesday…

Russia’s Black Sea fleet has suffered severe setbacks as Ukrainian forces continue to cripple a major piece of Moscow’s war effort. Last week, Ukrainian media touted a major victory over the Russian fleet with the publication of a video that allegedly showed the destruction of a nearly $70 million missile ship,…